Termites

Insect Plagues - Termites

This treatment is usually done on an as and per when basis, when the insect damage is visible up to a maximum of 6 times a year.

This treatment entails us connecting a hose
to your mains water supply. We connect a venturi to this hose. The venturi has
a small pipe attached to it which we lower into a bucket with a mixture of
insecticide and water. With the force of the water moving through the venturi creates a
vacuum and sucks up the mixture from the
bucket and mixing it at a 1 to 10 ratio with the mains water. We then apply
great volumes of the water and a very slow pace to your entire lawn area to try
and soak it as best as possible. Where ever we can find the termite holes we
open then and spray as much water down each hole as it will take. With the
watering that you do the following day it also helps to get this pesticide even
further into the soil. The pesticide lasts 8-10 weeks in the soil dependent on
temperature and watering. Note: approximate duration dependent on water pressure and tap
availability – It takes approximately an hour for one person to spray 100m2
of lawn with average water pressure.

Description

The harvester termites are an ancient, Old World family of termites, Hodotermitidae. They are distinguished by the serrated inner edge of their mandibles, and their functional compound eyes which are present in all castes. They forage for grass at night and during daylight hours, and pigmented workers are often observed outside the nest.Their range includes the deserts and savannas of Africa, the Middle East and South-west Asia.Their English name refers to their habit of collecting grass, which is however not unique to the family.

Nests

They nest by excavating in the soil. In the case of Hodotermes mossambicus the diffuse subterranean system of spherical hives may be located more than 6 m deep, or near the surface.The hives may be 60 cm wide and are interconnected by galleries. Loose particles of excavated soil are brought to the surface and dumped at various points around the nest. Colonies of Microhodotermes viator produce initially small,conical mounds on soil with sufficient clay content.

Breeding

Soon after rain showers, swarms of flying termites, alates or winged reproductives emerge from their underground nests during summer evenings. When sufficiently distant from the parent nest, they land, shrug off their wings and scout about for a mate. The pair then excavate a burrow to start a new colony. A week after swarming the female lays her first eggs which are tended by the couple, a task soon taken over by the maturing workers. After some four months the nest is sufficiently developed to send foraging workers to the surface. For the next couple of years, most of the eggs develop into workers and a small number of soldiers. When the nest is sufficiently large, winged reproductives again develop.